by Anne, Melody
“End your suffering, child. Take my hand,” he whispered. His icy breath washed over her face, making her shudder. He repulsed her, but what he offered was what she desired most. How bad would it really be to reach out and take his hand? She could see Jayden again, and that was all she wanted. “That’s right, give in to your needs. Listen to your heart.” His words soothed her.
“Phoenix, it’s a lie. Remember who you are, remember your brother, your parents, and Sadie. Jayden doesn’t want you to do this. Everything he does, it’s all for you,” Josiah whispered, his voice filled with pain as he felt her control slipping.
“But I miss Jayden — I need to see him. I’m starting to forget about us . . .” she said with anguish. The memory of how it felt to be in his arms, or to have his lips caress hers, had faded so much. She could hardly remember how her heart would skip a beat with one look from him. She longed to remember them together.
“Jayden is strong. He needs you to stay strong too,” Josiah said urgently. “You won’t get him back by taking Vyco’s hand. You’ll lose him forever.”
“He’s deceiving you, Phoenix. Let me show you. All you have to do is take my hand. Reach forward and all the pain ends. Jayden’s hurting. He can’t call out to you, but he desperately needs you to help him,” Vyco interrupted. He was standing in front of her — all she needed to do was reach forward. She lifted her hand toward him. She was done fighting.
“Phoenix, you have to wake up. Phoenix!” she heard an urgent whisper, but it was so far away. She felt her body shaking. She pulled further into herself. She didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to stay where she was. She was so close to being with Jayden. She stretched her hand out farther, but something was pulling her away.
“No — I have to see Jayden. He needs me,” Phoenix cried, trying to ignore the voice pulling her away.
“Wake up right now, do you hear me . . . now! Don’t do this, Phoenix, you come to me right now!” the voice grew louder. It was John — he was shaking her, trying to pull her from the dream. “Phoenix!” he cried again. Vyco started moving farther away from her.
“Phoenix, don’t leave — only you can help Jayden. Stay with me,” Vyco yelled, but he was now the one fading. He was getting farther away and his voice was only an angry whisper. His eyes glowed red as he continued shouting at her. She tried to move toward him, but John was tugging at her, pulling her back to consciousness.
Vyco disappeared as the fog of her dream lifted and Phoenix opened her eyes. She looked at John with accusation and anger. She could’ve been with Jayden. She could’ve stopped her heart from aching.
“I need to help Jayden. He’s hurting,” she sobbed. John and Devon were sitting on her bed. John gripped her hard in his arms.
“Josiah came to me. He told me what was happening. We almost lost you, Phoenix. We have to talk,” John said, his voice filled with panic.
“I need to help him, John,” she pleaded. She wanted to go back to sleep and save Jayden.
“Phoenix, Vyco is coming to you in your dreams. He’s evil, and if you take his hand, you’ll be his prisoner. Your body will remain here, but your mind will shut down, your soul will belong to him. It’ll look to the outside world as if you’re in a coma, but you’ll be suffering great pain, forever locked in your own useless body. You won’t be with Jayden. Vyco will make you watch him suffer, but you won’t be able to help. You’ll be half in this world and half out of it. You can’t do that to all of us who love you. You have to resist him,” John urged.
Phoenix broke down, her heart shattering. She couldn’t help Jayden. She couldn’t seem to help herself. Vyco was doing a great job of destroying her from the inside out. She didn’t understand why he didn’t just kill her and get it over with — it would be less painful.
“Don’t give up, Phoenix. You mean too much to all of us,” Devon said. She looked at him, noticing him sitting there for the first time.
“How do you know about this?” she asked.
“John told me what was happening. I won’t tell anyone, but I had to know. You’re in danger, and John wants to make sure you’re never left alone. Vyco is determined to get to you, and he’s trying more creative ways to do it,” Devon said. He wasn’t shocked to find out the world around him was filled with good and evil. He calmly accepted it.
“Devon’s strong. I knew he could handle the truth,” John told her. “I must speak with Josiah, but I don’t want you alone. I’m having Devon stay with you while I’m gone,” John said as he released her and stood.
“Remember, she’s my sister. You’re only here to protect her,” John warned Devon. Devon smiled and promised to be nothing more than a protector and comforter.
“You need to rest, but if I think Vyco is back, I’ll wake you. Josiah has placed protection around you, so you should rest easy now,” Devon said quietly while he helped her lie back down and covered her shaking body. He crawled on top of the covers and pulled her close, stroking along her back. Phoenix closed her eyes and exhaustion overtook her. She knew she shouldn’t lay in Devon’s arms but she had no more will to fight, and she felt strength from him, strength she desperately needed. She fell into a deep sleep, knowing she was safe for the moment — or at least her mind and body were. Her heart and soul were an entirely different matter altogether.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Phoenix awoke and attempted to stretch, but her arm snagged on something. She opened her eyes and found herself looking straight into Devon’s. She smiled and snuggled a little closer before the realization set in about the emotional danger she was allowing herself.
Her body shot straight up, startled as she looked around the dark room. Devon slowly rose, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Good morning,” he said quietly.
“What . . . why . . . what are you doing in my bed?”
“Don’t you remember your nightmare last night?” he asked, looking worried. Everything came flooding back to Phoenix as she looked at Devon, wide-eyed. The terror of the night before flooded through her, and her heart seemed to ache with each beat.
“I can’t believe I forgot.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. Your brother was really worried about you and didn’t want you alone. I’ll leave you to get ready for the day,” he said as he got to his feet.
“Wait. The stuff you both said about Vyco and the dreams. Is that real?” she asked. Devon paused for a moment, and she was afraid he wouldn’t answer.
“Yes, Phoenix, it’s real. I don’t know a whole lot about it, but for some reason he wants you, and it’s not for a good purpose.”
Phoenix was speechless. What could you possibly say about someone that evil who was determined to take your soul and leave your shell of a body to rot?
“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Devon vowed.
“What about Jayden? He needs help,” she said, clearly remembering the words Vyco had spoken to her.
“Cassidy is searching for him. She stays in contact with John, and we’ll know as soon as he does.”
“John said he went to talk to Josiah. Is he back yet? Did he find out anything?”
Devon shook his head. “He’s back, but I don’t know if he got any answers.”
“I feel so useless. There’s got to be some way to help,” Phoenix whispered.
“You’re far from useless, Phoenix. I don’t think you grasp how many lives you affect. I’ll meet you at breakfast. Don’t take too long or John will send out the troops,” he said, only half kidding. He turned and walked from the room.
Devon’s steps were slower than normal as he went to his bedroom and stepped inside. He was in love with her. He knew her heart belonged to another, but he couldn’t help himself. It was taking all of his acting skills to pretend she was only a friend, but each time he looked at her, he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and claim her sweet mouth. He’d never felt this way about any other girl.
A huge p
iece of him told him it was wrong to covet another man’s woman, but where was Jayden? If he truly loved Phoenix as much as everyone said he did, how could he have left her so vulnerable? He knew he wouldn’t leave her, not as long as he had a single breath left in his body.
He hadn’t intended to fall in love with anyone — not in this new uncertain world. He’d watched too many times as couples were ripped apart by tragedy. He hadn’t wanted to love someone enough for it to kill him if he lost them. But no matter how much he hadn’t wanted to fall for Phoenix, it had happened. They’d started out friends, but it was nearly impossible not to fall for her.
She was sweet and smart and so much stronger than she realized. The other kids rallied around her, and she was as much a leader as her brother, if not more so. John was strong, but Phoenix was brave and loyal. She kept their group together without realizing she was doing it. He had no doubt he was going to get his heart broken.
A part of him didn’t want Jayden to return. He knew she would eventually fall in love with him if Jayden never came back. It wasn’t that he’d be a second choice, it was hard to give your heart to two people at the same time. He’d seen it happen, and it never ended well. But as much as he didn’t want Jayden to return, he loved Phoenix enough that if that was what she needed, he’d gracefully bow out and give her that happiness if he could. He was a mess.
He quickly changed clothes and walked to breakfast. He needed to be around his friends. He hoped John had a full day of strenuous activity for them, because he needed to keep his mind away from love and heartbreak. He’d be Phoenix’s friend, because that was all she had to offer him at the moment, but he couldn’t help wanting so much more.
He sat at the table, quieter than usual, and waited for her to enter the room. His glance darted to the door every few seconds. He didn’t notice the knowing looks around the table. They were a close-knit group and not much got past them. She finally came in and he let out a sigh of relief. She barely had a chance to sit down when John approached.
“We have a council meeting before training today,” he said solemnly. The group of teenagers looked at him. His tone was worrisome. Before they could ask questions, he disappeared with the other unit leaders and elders.
Phoenix wanted to chase him down and demand to know what Josiah had said. She was exhausted, depressed, and at the end of her rope. She knew he was busy, but he could’ve taken two minutes to give her some answers. It would be better to know, even if the news wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
They finished breakfast and walked to the central cave. The room was packed, standing room only. Phoenix wanted to get the meeting over with so she could corner John and make him talk.
Phoenix and Sadie sat too far from the fire to warm the chill in their bones. Greg and Larry approached the podium with John and the other unit leaders standing behind them. The men looked out at the crowd, their expressions giving nothing away.
“We’ve watched your training,” Greg said. “You’ve all done well, much better than any of us expected. We think you’re ready. We aren’t sending every team out at once, but in groups. You’ll have different missions. There’s a military base located on an island in Washington, near Oak Harbor. We feel this is our best target to capture. We can secure the area, and there are plenty of living quarters for survivors. A few remaining enemy soldiers are there, but we can defeat them. We’ve picked the teams to accomplish this most important task. Also, we’re going after some smaller holds in Idaho, Montana, California, and Oregon. We’ll first take back the West, then move inland.”
Phoenix was anxious about traveling so far, and she only vaguely remembered the island he was talking about. It did seem like an ideal location for their base of operations, but she couldn’t imagine why the enemy would abandon the base. Maybe too many of their men had been killed and that’s why they were regrouping in the East.
“We know of many survivors along your route and we’re sending out search and rescue teams,” Greg said. “Our central station will be the base in Washington, once the area is secure. We feel if we can gather enough people together, we’ll eventually gain our country back. This is dangerous, and you need to listen to your team leaders. We’ll also stay in contact. Much of what we’ll be doing is on foot, as we have to conserve our fuel. The next few months won’t be easy, but in the end, victory will be ours.”
The room burst into excitement. Phoenix looked to Sadie with a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. They were leaving their home, and most likely wouldn’t return to it.
“Your team leaders have the assignments for each group,” Larry said. “Meet in your usual place, and you’ll know when you leave. Some will leave as soon as tomorrow morning, others not until next week. One group will stay here until the military base is secured. Then the rest of us, along with all of our supplies, will be moved there. This cave has been good to us. It’s kept us safe, warm, and fed. It’s ensured our survival. We’ll seal it off in case it’s ever needed again, but we’ll no longer have to hide underground. It’ll be good to wake up to the morning light again.” His words brought another cheer from the crowd.
The meeting ended, and Phoenix and Sadie followed the crowd from the cave. The narrow hall was packed with people, causing them to move slowly. Bodies were packed like sardines as everyone moved to the fresh air. As they walked into the sunshine, Phoenix stepped to the side and watched hundreds of people leave the cave. They all wore similar expressions of hope. She gazed at her home of the past four years and felt like crying. But they were progressing. She might even get to move home one day, if her home was still there. She should be smiling like the rest of them.
“I know how you’re feeling,” Devon said, appearing from nowhere.
“I’m fine,” she automatically replied.
“It’s bittersweet. Going back to the real world is exciting to some degree, but at the same time, you’ll miss the closeness of the cave, the friendships you’ve formed,” Devon said with a sad smile. There was no use denying it any longer.
“I don’t think I ever comprehended that we’d be leaving here at the end of all of this training,” Phoenix said with a sigh. “I know the caves are cold, damp, and dark, but we’re all so close. We eat together, meet every day, and talk. There aren’t any video games or television — nothing to distract us. I was so young when we came into the mountains, but I remember how lonely I was sometimes. John was always busy with his high school activities, and Dad and Mom were gone all of the time for work. I didn’t know it at the time, but they were preparing this place. We had family time, but nothing compared to what we’ve had here.”
“I know. My family was unusually close, but I still spent many hours doing nothing but playing on my X-Box. My dad used to shake his head and tell me, When I was a kid, we played with sticks and mud. We didn’t sit in front of the TV like a zombie. Then he’d walk away,” Devon said sadly. Phoenix couldn’t imagine how much he must miss his parents. She wouldn’t want to start over if her parents died.
“I did make my first mud pie here,” Phoenix said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
“I’m sure it was delicious,” he responded, picking up on what she was trying to do.
“Phoenix, Devon, over here,” John called. They turned and saw the rest of their group. They made their way through the crowd, and John led them to a private spot. It took a while, considering nearly everyone was outside the cave.
“We’ve been chosen as the first team to head in and secure the military base,” John said. “I know you’re scared, but this is an honor. They’ve watched us train and they have faith in us. Two other teams are going in as well, but they’ll be taking different routes. I’m not going to lie and say this will be a walk in the park, but we’re strong, and we work well together. We’re going to do this, and we’ll do it right. We’ll be saving hundreds of thousands of lives. That’s something to be proud of. Your names will be written in history books. We leave first
thing in the morning. All our gear is packed and ready to go. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us, and we have a truck and trailer. It’s going to be crowded, but it’s the best way to haul supplies and fuel. We know there are still enemy soldiers along the way, but most of their units have gone east. They’re running scared. We’re not the only group fighting back anymore.”
The team remained silent as they realized it was their last day at the cave. They had to say goodbye to their family and friends, and they were selected for one of the most important aspects of the mission. It was an honor, but a lot rested on their shoulders. It was terrifying to have everyone’s hopes in their hands.
“We’ll be ready, John,” Brian said. His words pulled the rest of the group out of their trance and they all nodded.
“Good. Today is yours to do what you wish. Each of you can take one backpack of personal items. All necessary supplies are ready to go, but if you have belongings that have personal meaning and want to bring them, you can, as long as they’re small and fit in one bag. We have to be highly mobile and pack light,” John said, looking longer at each of the girls, knowing they’d want to take everything but the kitchen sink.
“It’s okay, John, we’ve already walked away from everything once,” Sadie said. She wasn’t disappointed about it. Their run into the night had been so long ago, and Sadie and Phoenix were among the few who’d actually been able to hold on to their most precious possessions. If those items could be brought to the base, great. If not, they’d survive. As long as they had each other, and their families, anything else was just gravy.
“Okay, enjoy your day off. We leave at first light tomorrow,” John said. He turned to find the elders so he could coordinate their last minute planning.
Phoenix stood with Sadie as their group started to disperse. She noticed other people doing the same. She watched as some walked to the obstacle course and worked on training, while others wandered back into the caves. It was a mellow day. No one seemed sad, but they weren’t joyful either. It was one somber day.